Your Weekend: The Best Family Fun in Hawai‘i for October 21–27, 2021

Volunteer in a garden and swim near a waterfall, watch Cinderella build a rocket in a live-streaming musical, putt around a haunted trail and order some spooky sweet treats.

October 21, 2021

Christi Young,

Photo: Waimea Valley

Make a Difference Day at Waimea Valley

You will get dirty but volunteering at the North Shore reserve is fun for all ages. Kids and adults will help weed and work in the botanical gardens and other areas. Unlike the regular volunteer days, there are two shifts to choose from: one in the morning when the grounds are a little more shaded and another in the afternoon. Everyone who comes will be entered into a raffle for prizes and receive free admission so the kids can run around the grounds, play Hawaiian games and dip their toes, or more, in the pool by the waterfall, if it is open. You do need to RSVP by 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22 to attend.

All ages
Free
Saturday, Oct. 23, shifts are 9–11:30 a.m. and noon–2:30 p.m.
59-864 Kamehameha Highway, Hale‘iwa
RSVP to volunteers@waimeavalley.net
waimeavalley.net, @waimeavalley

Interstellar Cinderella Photo Christine Lamborn Credit Kennedy Theatre

Photo: Christine Lamborn, Courtesy of Kennedy Theatre

Interstellar Cinderella at UH Mānoa

When the girl who lives amid the cinders dreams of building rocket ships, you know that this is a very different version of Charles Perrault’s 1697 classic fairy tale. UH Mānoa’s Theatre for Young Audiences production takes us to the year 3017 to meet Cinderella, a girl with just a robot mouse for a friend with dreams of getting her invention to take her to the prince’s Interstellar Space Parade. The musical version of the book will stream live this weekend from the stage at Kennedy Theatre so remember, there will be no opportunity to rewind or pause for bathroom breaks.

All ages
$15 per device for general admission, $10 for students, seniors, military, UH faculty and staff
Friday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m.
Buy tickets at showtix4u.com

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The Haunted Trail

Many of the events that require reservations are sold out. But there are still a few spaces left in the first weekend of this Halloween-themed mini golf course at Bay View Mini Putt. Sunday’s early keiki hour still looks fairly open while families who are looking for a few small scares can still slide into the late time slots after 9 p.m. any night. If treats are not a huge deal, but a glowing golf ball that changes colors is, there are more spaces for the Holiday Glow Putt which comes with decorations but no frights.

All ages
Prices range from $14.50 for the Holiday Glow Putt to $31.50 for The Haunted Trail with prizes.
42-285 Kāne‘ohe Bay Drive, Kāne‘ohe
familyhaunt.com, @familyhaunthawaii

Happy Kaka‘akoween Virtual Ghost Stories

The real-life tours can be so spooky they’ll keep you up at night. Fortunately, we’re betting a virtual story session with Lopaka Kapanui will be a little less hair-raising for keiki. Kapanui will tell tales about spots around Kaka‘ako for this free Zoom session from Salt at Our Kaka‘ako.

Free
Sunday, Oct. 24, 7–8 p.m.
Register at ourkakaako.com

Basalt Halloween Pancakes Photo Basalt Waikiki

Photo: Courtesy of Basalt Waikīkī

Preorder: DIY Pancakes from Basalt Waikīkī

This year, you can decorate the Waikīkī eatery’s signature pancakes in the restaurant or at home. The Halloween pancake kit comes with a stack of three charcoal buttermilk pancakes, liliko‘i saboyan to spoon on top (or into your mouth, as my 6-year-old did during a media preview), grey whipped cream, a fondant bat, sugar cookie cat, meringue ghost, candy corn and Halloween sprinkles. Preorders for takeout open on Monday, Oct. 25. Decorators, make sure to keep the meringue ghost sealed in its bag until you’re ready to eat. After a few minutes in Hawai‘i’s humidity, it was sticking to our fingers.

All ages
$19
Available for pickup or dining in Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31, 7 a.m.—2 p.m.
Duke’s Lane Market & Eatery, 2255 Kūhiō Ave., (808) 923-5689
dukeslanehawaii.com, @basaltwaikiki

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Preorder: Trick-Or-Treat Dessert Box from Artizen by MW

Upgrade your treats with an adorable set from Michelle Karr-Ueoka and the team at Artizen by MW. The box comes with two mini macarons, keiki-size versions of MW’s signature candy bars (a peanut butter chocolate bar with layers of peanut butter shortbread, macadamia nuts in a Hawaiian salt caramel and Valrhona chocolate ganache with a crispy feuilletine crust) and bat-shaped cookies. I’m ordering a few for my nieces and nephews and picking up adult-size servings of the candy bar and Tropical Fruit “Candy Corn” Cake with layers of coconut, liliko‘i, mango and Valrhona Opalys crunch for the adults.